Vultures have landed on the rooftop of a few homes in a neighborhood in Versailles making for a disturbing sight. About 50 of the black birds were circling the field behind Chad Street in Tanglewood Village around Sept. 27, and another dozen were resting on the rooftop of two brick homes in the the cul-de-sac there. As of Monday, they were still there, but in fewer numbers.

Dave Osborne, educator with the Ripley County Purdue Extension Office, said the birds are roosting there, and likely stopped while on their seasonal migration. He commented there is likely a carcass or dead animal, possibly a deer with EHD disease, nearby which attracted the carnivores. “There must be nearby trees they like for roosting. The weather is fine, so they are not forced to move,” Osborne said.

As for why the couple of roofs it’s resting on, he said it may be due to the radiant heat. He said, “There’s nothing you can do to get rid of them. They are federally protected.” Chris Grauel, biologist with the Indiana Division of Fish and Wildlifem, confirmed that. “You can harass them, but can’t shoot them...We call them the clean-up crew.” Launching bottle rockets, for example, might disturb them to leave.

The turkey vultures could stay for awhile, he added. He recommended to chop down the dead trees where they were roosting. Homeowners did so Friday, and Freeda Hensley who lives on the street, said the nuisance is better, but there were still a dozen vultures on rooftops Monday morning. Grauel is coming Wednesday morning to assess the situation. He said their migration pattern is extended more north than it was 25 years ago. He was dealing with 4,000 buzzards near the Ohio River just last week.

Police seek suspect who left scene

Police are asking the public for help in a hit-and-run accident. No one was hurt, but a vehicle was damaged. The driver fled the scene.
On Sunday, at approximately 4 p.m. the Ripley County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a property damage accident located at the intersection of SR 129 and CR 900 South in Cross Plains.

A female driver of a light tan, older model Jeep Cherokee with tinted windows, and a male passenger, attempted to negotiate a turn west from SR 129 onto CR 900 South, leaving the roadway on the south side and into the driveway of 9002 South SR 129. The suspect vehicle crashed “head on” into a green 2006 Pontiac GT passenger vehicle, which was parked in the driveway. Heavy damage to the parked vehicle occurred at that time.

The driver of the Cherokee then struck a stop sign with the rear of the vehicle at the intersection as she fled the scene, traveling back northbound on SR 129 towards Versailles. The accident is under investigation. Contact the Ripley County Sheriff’s Office at 812-689-5558 if you have any information.

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